THE COMMON FAN-FOOT. 91 



are dark brown. Its favourite haunts appear to be woods in 

 Kent and Sussex, and in the last-named county it is perhaps 

 most frequently met with in Abbots wood, Guestling, and 

 Lewes. It has also been recorded from Essex (Colchester). 

 (Plate 35, Fig. 6.) 



The caterpillar feeds on dead oak leaves, chiefly those that 

 have fallen to the ground. After hibernation it becomes full 

 grown about June, and is then brown with a downy appear- 

 ance ; there are three faintly darker lines along the back, and 

 the usual dots are dusky. (Plate 34, Fig. 3 ; after Hofmann.) 

 The moth is out in June and July, and in the daytime may be 

 put up from its lurking place among herbage in wood clearings,, 

 or netted as it flies in the gloaming. It is also attracted by 

 sugar and light. 



The species has been erroneously recorded from Chester and 

 Barmouth (North Wales) ; and Mr. Carr informs me that he is 

 not quite sure that a specimen he recorded from Dawlish, South 

 Devon, was correctly identified. In the catalogue of Malvern 

 Lepidoptera H. derivalis is stated to be rather common in 

 that district, but the occurrence of the species in the Midlands 

 requires confirmation. 



Abroad, the range extends to Amurland. 



The Common Fan-foot {Fcchipogon barbalis). 



The fore wings of the species shown on Plate 35, Fig. 7, are- 

 greyish brown, crossed by three darker lines, the outer one 

 almost parallel with the hind margin, and edged with whitish. 



The caterpillar feeds on the dead leaves of oak and birch, 

 and has almost attained full growth when it retires for the 

 winter. In the spring it has been known to eat birch catkins. 

 The general colour is reddish ochreous, with diamond-shaped 

 markings, forming a series along the back and two series along 

 each side. 



